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Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:25:47 -0600Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbRay Charles Live in Concert by Ray Charleshttp://jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/various-jazz-styles-cd-reviews/ray-charles-live-in-concert-by-ray-charles.html
http://jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/various-jazz-styles-cd-reviews/ray-charles-live-in-concert-by-ray-charles.htmlWe had to share a table with a stranger but it was ok -- he bought us a few drinks. It was in “The Blue Room” of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, circa 1975 and Ray Charles was the headliner. It’s been almost forty years and I can’t remember what we had for dinner or if there was an opening act. I can remember that Ray Charles was still at the top of his game. The Raeletts were there and his stage band performed to perfection as the crossover genius dazzled the crowd with a collection of hits

We had to share a table with a stranger but it was ok -- he bought us a few drinks. It was in “The Blue Room” of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, circa 1975 and Ray Charles was the headliner. It’s been almost forty years and I can’t remember what we had for dinner or if there was an opening act. I can remember that Ray Charles was still at the top of his game. The Raeletts were there and his stage band performed to perfection as the crossover genius dazzled the crowd with a collection of hits and covers much as he had done in Los Angeles at the Shrine Civic Auditorium on September 20, 1964.It was a time when liner notes listed the name of the master of ceremonies and a time when introductions were expected and enthusiastic. A ten second musical interlude welcomes the arrival of Joe Adams along with a modest round of applause as he approaches the mike, “Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present, America’s most exciting musical personality, captivating, invigorating sounds -- of the genius -- the genius of RAY CHARLES! -- and his orchestra.” This Concord Records release (April 5, 2011) is actually a re-release of the ABC-Paramount 1965 album of twelve tracks. According to the press release, this CD “brings additional depth and perspective to the 1964 recording with the help of 24-bit remastering, seven previously unreleased tracks and extensive new liner notes that provide additional historical context to what is already considered a pivotal recording in Ray’s overall body of work.”Ray Charles Live in Concert begins with an instrumental, “Swing a Little Taste” and then with almost no pause jumps right into a cover of “One Mint Julep” (another instrumental -- this one arranged by Quincy Jones) that makes it impossible to stand/or sit still. OMJ features a solo (one of several on this CD) by Charles. “I’ve Got a Woman” keeps the crowd involved with a toe tapping rhythm that segues into a crowd pleasing show-stopping cover of “Georgia on My Mind”. Thirteen tracks later, the crowd is pleased with the finale, “What’d I Say”. For this reviewer, the highlight of the album was an extemporaneous six minute cover of “Making Whoopee” -- a defiant response to newspaper reports concerning his private life. His piano playing was never more emotional and his singing never more sensual. He winks to the audience and ends the piece with, “You know what I’ve been doing, don’t cha?” This track was a great lead in to “Busted.”Listeners today will be surprised to learn that the original release never charted higher than #80; although it was such a great money maker, that the studio rewarded Charles with a 1965 Cadillac Eldorado convertible.

]]>morrice.blackwell@gmail.com (Usb Monitor)Various Jazz Styles - CD ReviewsTue, 29 Mar 2011 07:00:00 -0500For All Those Living by Sheryl Bailey 4http://jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/bebop-hard-bop-cd-reviews/for-all-those-living-by-sheryl-bailey-4.html
http://jazzreview.com/cd-reviews/bebop-hard-bop-cd-reviews/for-all-those-living-by-sheryl-bailey-4.htmlGuitarist Sheryl Bailey has a well-earned reputation for delivering distinctive, soulful playing and For All Those Living more than lives up to this stature. The tunes range from uptempo bop to mellow waltz, and Bailey imbues each track with her compelling instrumental imagination. Together with a superlative trio of musicians, Bailey delivers an outstanding set of infectiously arranged tunes that pop out of the speakers with ear-catching soul and dexterous musical vision.Each of the eight tunes

Guitarist Sheryl Bailey has a well-earned reputation for delivering distinctive, soulful playing and For All Those Living more than lives up to this stature. The tunes range from uptempo bop to mellow waltz, and Bailey imbues each track with her compelling instrumental imagination. Together with a superlative trio of musicians, Bailey delivers an outstanding set of infectiously arranged tunes that pop out of the speakers with ear-catching soul and dexterous musical vision.

Each of the eight tunes are Bailey originals whose themes are loosely focused around people or ideas that have affected the guitarist’s life. There are odes to the late Jimmy Wyble and Jack Wilkins, as well as a homage to the soulful Hank Mobley. The sum of these tributes is the added emotional depth Bailey seems to bring to each cut. On the title cut, there’s a melancholic feel to the laid back swing which both Bailey and pianist Jim Ridl perfectly exploit during their solos -- veering back and forth between angular, darting lines and expressive, lingering richness.

On the opening cut, "An Unexpected Turn", Bailey shows off her chops as her solos shift from straight-forward melodic to a more tense harmonic sense. But Bailey never forgets jazz’s rhythmic joy either. "Masa’s Bag" is a fun extended blues as swinging as anything Grant Green could imagine. As bassist Gary Wang and drummer Shingo Okudaira expertly push the beat forward, both Bailey and Ridl let loose with explosive, agile solos that play with the downbeat like the proverbial cat to the mouse. Bailey is the rare guitarist whose playing is both unhurried and precise even as she is unleashing a torrid of notes, while Ridl’s playing is beautifully fluid and pulsating with energy.

An added attraction to this album is the outstanding sound production. Track after track is alive with the crisp, beautifully recorded instruments. Bailey’s guitar is warm and rich throughout, Ridl’s piano has just the right amount of presence, Wang’s bass has a unmuddied nearness, while Okudaira’s drums sound like they are five feet away in a sound-booth. The quality of the sound only adds to the excitement of the set as every nuance can be heard and felt.

Sheryl Bailey has only added to her solid reputation with this inspired outing. Taken individually, each track conveys an intriguing emotional feeling and flawless musical interpretation. Taken as a whole, the project’s swinging musical largeness keeps one wanting to hear more.